


Heart's Desire

by DragonMystique



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 16:50:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5673247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonMystique/pseuds/DragonMystique
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A prompt that touches on the feelings of Shaela Lavellan towards Cole after a great victory in Halamshiral</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart's Desire

**Author's Note:**

> Image Commissioned and Credit to Noctuaalba who did an amazing job. You can find more of her work here: http://noctuaalba.tumblr.com/

# Hearts Desire

 

**Skyholds tavern was alive with celebration. Music, laughter, and cheering reverberating off the walls. Iron Bull was sitting in his usual spot against the wall, gesturing Dorian over who was carrying a pint of Ale for him, and a flute of wine for himself. Shaela smiled from her perch on the second floor, pleased that the pair had finally come to terms with their affection for one another. It was such a rocky start, their insults clever yet subtly snide. Now, they were inseperable, and it gave her some semblance of hope. A sharp whistle, she jerked from her thoughts and saw the two of them gesturing her to join in. Dorian now in Bulls lap, who was patting the mages knee with a grin. Shaela flushed deeply, waving them off.**

**Her gaze shifted towards the other patrons. Blackwall was flirting with Josephine, and she was eating it up. Cullen and Rylen were sitting at the bar, arm wrestling, which she found highly amusing due to the girls gathered around cheering them both on. Thank Sylaise she was a floor higher, or she might very well have burst an ear drum with their squeals. Shaking her head, she continued to view the tavern, pausing now on Varric, Cole and Leliana. The spymaster and storyteller, were once more trying to teach the poor boy the game of Wicked Grace. He preferred however to talk to the cards, which led to Varrics palm flat on his face in frustration. Shaela quietly laughed, enjoying the view, but more importantly being able to appreciate Cole without making an utter fool of herself.**

**She leaned against the banister, tapping her boot to the music, completely enraptured with the spirit boy who had ensnared her heart. So distracted, she did not hear the heels of one Madam De Fer's approach.** _"And who are we admiring this victorious night my dear? The strapping knights vying for your approval?"_   **She clucked lightly.**

**Shaela jumped out of her skin, whirling around to look at her, cheeks as red as rose petals.** _"N-no. I was just uh watching everyone."_

_"You are a terrible liar my dear. Excellent with the bow, but deception is certainly not your forte."_ **She stepped up to the banister, looking out over the floor curiously. _"_** _well lets see. if it isn't the handsome knights, who could it be..."_

_"No one, really. I just needed a little personal space after being smothered in nobles. That's all..."_ **Shaela insisted.**

_"This is your celebration. Your victory, you should be down there with your friends."_ **She paused, her lips curling into a disapproving frown.** _"Please tell me you are not pining for that demon boy."_

_"H-he's not a demon, he's a spirit."_

_"Mm, so they say. You did not deny that is where your sights are set however. It is a hopeless endeavor child. You are of two different worlds, you need to accept that and move on to better prospects. You are after all the Inquisitor, and must maintain a certain reputation. Understandably, that you are dalish, marrying into royalty would be challenging, there are two fine knights that I have seen more often than not watching you with desire in their eyes."_ **She gestured towards Cullen and Rylen, smiling.**

_"With all due respect Vivienne, I do not have feelings for either of them. Not in the way one should have feelings when being involved in a relationship. Plus, they are um.. human."_

_"Well that's rather prejudice of you my dear. Not all marriages are bound by love. Many are diplomatic, which after the victory at Halamshiral, you should be taking into consideration."_

_"N-no, I didn't mean it that way. I just mean, I am as you pointed out dalish. Elves have a longer lifespan, and well I do not want to marry someone I'm going to watch grow old and die, while I continue to live on."_ **Shaela sighed heavily, looking over towards Varrics table once more. She wanted to run away, to escape this sanctimonious woman who thought she knew what was best for her.**

_"I see. What of Solas then. You two have spent a great deal of time together."_

_"Eh. He's ... old. I mean.. uh well he's older than me, and would be more suited for someone like my sister. Not me. Uh-uh."_

_"You can't be picky my dear in the game of marriage. I will not press further on such matters of matrimony however, merely insist you get that boy out of your head. There is no future with him, and the longer you pine for him, the harder it will be for you to accept. It is only a matter of time before he betrays the Inquisition, or moves on elsewhere. Then where will you be?"_

_"E-excuse me, I.. I need some air."_ **Shaela pivoted towards the stairs, hurrying up to the third floor where a door leading to the ramparts awaited her.**

**A soft thud of a book closing, and wood against wood as a chair slid. Cassandra stepped out from her quiet corner where she was enjoying the recent addition of novels Varric had written her. She approached Vivienne, a disapproving scowl on her face.** _"That was crossing a line, even for you Vivienne."_

_"Oh please. I was only jarring her awake from the inevitable heartbreak she would suffer if she let this nonsense continue. You and I both know, that demon is dangerous and should not even be here."_

_"That boy, whatever he is, has been by her side since Haven. He saved her from Envy, he supported her against the Fear demon, and gave her confidence at Halamshiral. He has been a constant pillar of strength for her, and you are telling her to just cast that aside? She is young, and she is in love. Let her be in love. She is naive in many things, but I can assure you she is not a simpleton. She is well aware of the barrier between them, but there is nothing wrong with daring to hope."_

_"Oh Seeker. You are quite the romantic. That is all well and good for stories, but there is no place for that here. I am a realist, and I am trying to make sure she understands that she needs to focus on what is important, not be distracted by some blue-eyed boy who could very well lead her down the wrong path."_

_"You are neither her mother, or her advisor. You gave your opinion, but you are not in a position to insist on anything. None of us are, and all you have done this night, is stolen a night of happiness from a girl who I have not seen smile until this day. Ugh, there is no debating this with you. If you will excuse me, I have a matter to attend."_ **And with that, Cassandra made her way downstairs. Her frown was deep, and her brow furrowed with a look of determination, though the occupants of the table saw something entirely different.**

_"Uh-oh! Seeker on a rampage"_ **Varric taunted, that suave grin on his face.** _"What'd I do this time?"_

_"Ugh, not everything is about you Varric."_

_"No, sometimes it's all Bianca."_ **He chuckled, Leliana giggling beside him.**

_"You are insufferable dwarf. In any case, I need Cole for a task, or rather a favor. Can you spare him?"_

_"Ah, I suppose so. We weren't getting anywhere in our game anyhow."_

**Cassandra nodded in gratitude, then motioned Cole to follow. Together, the pair made their way outside. The air was still cool, as the last vestiges of winter were clinging. The seeker glanced briefly at the rooftops, frowning as she thought she saw something or someone moving across them. Shaking her head, she turned to Cole, taking a deep breath, she was never good at these kinds of things.**

_"You are worried, you fear she will withdraw deeper into herself. Shut the world out."_ **Cole murmured before she could speak.**

_"Ah. Yes. Though I wish you would not do that. I prefer my thoughts private until I decide to share them. Ahem, in any case. She had an altercation with Madam De Fer, regarding you. She was overwhelmed, and I do not think any of us will be able to reach her. Well, perhaps Dorian, but he's preoccupied at the moment..."_ **She shuddered, trying to shake the image that formed from her mind.** _"I am merely asking, if you would go talk with her, you have always seemed to be able to give her this confidence she has lacked since the very beginning."_

_"Yes. She is hurting, I want to help. I will go to her now."_

_"Thank you Cole."_ **Cassandra said in a soft, genuinely grateful tone.  
**

**As Cassandra made her way back inside, Cole turned and started walking towards the gardens. With everyone celebrating at the tavern, or in personal quarters, the gardens were likely the place she would go. It was always her favorite place, where he'd watch her on quiet nights. She's stroll among the flowers, talking to them as if they were people, it intrigued him. As he arrived, he found her sitting in the center of the gazebo. She had slid the chess table and chairs off to the side, and was now curled up in a sitting position by herself.**

**Shaela gasped softly in alarm as arms wrapped around her from behind. When legs sprawled out on both sides of her, she relaxed somewhat, though remained tense for completely different reasons. This, was the first time Cole actually held her, let alone sat this close to her. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, despite the cold air, and her stomach was fluttering out of control. She bit down on her bottom lips softly, to prevent herself from saying anything foolish that would steal this moment away. She rested her palms on his forearms as he held her, the two saying nothing for the longest time, before Cole broke the silence.**

_"You could not be selfish, because that is not you. You are angry, with her, with yourself."_

_"Yes. I wanted to defend you, she is wicked and does not know you."_

_"You know me. You love me."_   **Cole said matter-of-factly, which caused Shaela's eyes to go wide, the flush on her cheeks deepening. _"_** _Varric meant well, he wanted to give me substance. Calls me "Kid" to make me real. Solas, in his own way meant well. He lost his friend, and feared I would be twisted from my purpose like wisdom. You, however, gave me the choice to make. You did not ask for one choice or the other, but instead supported the decision I made for myself because you love me. You want me happy."_

_"I... yes. It's true. You have made me happy, always giving me reason to smile, to believe anything is possible. I wanted that for you too."_

_"I have that. I am happy. You let me help when others wanted you to send me away. You let me remain close to you even in your travels. You let me love you too, as you love me."_ **He pressed his cheek against hers, squeezing her gently.** _"I chose to stay a spirit, but I am still here in the flesh. I want to help, I want to help you. I won't leave you Shaela, not unless you ask me to._

_"I will never ask you to leave Cole. I would be selfish, and ask you to stay with me forever, but I know that is not right. I cannot deny your help to others, when that time comes. You remind me the importance of compassion for others, and I would be hurting you to deny them what you have."_

_"You are the love to my compassion. A bright light, not the light that I cannot see with the mark, but a beacon of emotion that you cage. She is not a clairvoyant, she cannot know what your future holds. Do not let her hurt you, do not let anyone hurt you."_

**A storm of emotions washed over Shaela. She was happy, she was embarrassed, she was falling even deeper in love with the boy that held her. She leaned back against chest, losing herself in the moment. For hours they spoke of the fade, of spirits, and hours more they merely sat in silent understanding of each other. As time passed on however, her eyelids grew heavier until she had finally drifted off to sleep in his arms. Careful not to wake her, Cole gently scooped her up and carried her out of the garden to her room. He laid her down on the bed, pulling the quilt over her to ensure she stayed warm. With a smile, he leaned down and whispered tenderly in her ear as he brushed some loose hair from her face.  
**

_"You're my heart's desire too Shaela. I will stay."_

**A soft smile slowly found its way on her lips as her head tilted towards the sound of his voice. He stepped back quietly, disappearing into the shadows of the room, where he would watch over her the rest of the night. Guarding her from anything that would steal away that smile. The smile reserved only for him.**

 


End file.
